Traditional CPU (central processing unit) IO (input/output) physical layer designs have settings for transmitter drive-strength that can be adjusted to keep the transmitter within certain (various) electrical specifications. The adjustment settings can either be statically applied (i.e., configuration) or dynamically adjusted to account for variation/fluctuation in process, voltage, and temperature. Such dynamic adjustment is generally known as “IO compensation” and is typically performed by dedicated CPU hardware known as an “IO Compensation Finite State Machine (FSM).” The FSMs can compute the desired transmitter drive-strength settings, which may then be employed by the actual transmitter circuits on the CPU IO ports. The FSMs generally employ a searching algorithm, iterating of setting values, and measuring of results until an acceptable finalized setting has been attained. When re-calibration (or re-compensation) is desired, the search algorithm is usually repeated and a new setting is found. Variations of traditional re-calibration schemes exist, such as continuously operating FSMs that immediately track fluctuations in voltage and temperature. Traditionally, when an IO compensation FSM is shut down (e.g., enters “reset” or is powered-down), the FSM state, which may include the settings for compensation, is typically lost. Upon power-down exit, the FSM restarts “from scratch” employing the full compensation search-algorithm, which may negatively impact power-down exit latencies, since IO compensation precedes the commencement of IO bus traffic. Conventional solutions do not usually preserve the previously attained compensation settings (prior to power-down) and have generally suffered latency costs.